-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- By the time police officers reached the swimmer floating off a New Zealand beach , it was already too late : a large shark was biting the lifeless body .

The attack took place off a popular beach west of Auckland on Wednesday afternoon , police said , as people gathered there to enjoy the summer sunshine .

The victim was a man in his 40s . He was swimming 200 meters -LRB- 220 yards -RRB- offshore near Muriwai Beach , about 25 kilometers -LRB- 15 miles -RRB- from central Auckland when the 12-to-14-foot shark struck .

`` We saw him rolling around , there was blood everywhere on the water , '' Pio Mose , who was fishing nearby , told local broadcaster 3 News . Mose said he believed at least two other sharks had joined in the frenzy around the body after a few minutes .

The shark that attacked the swimmer was a great white , according to Russell Clark , a paramedic from the Westpac Rescue Helicopter service , which responded to the emergency at the beach .

Police officers and life guards on the scene went out in inflatable boats . When they fired at the shark they saw by the body , it `` rolled over and disappeared , '' said Inspector Shawn Rutene .

Following the death , police closed the beach and several others nearby . Auckland Council said it expected the area to remain closed for the next few days .

Shark attacks kill about 25 people a year worldwide , according to the New Zealand Department of Conservation . However , fatal attacks in the country 's beaches have been rare .

There have been fewer than 20 shark attack deaths in more than 175 years in New Zealand , the agency said .

Twitter users expressed their condolences to the victim 's family . Others worried about the risk of more attacks .

`` Shark attack at Muriwai !! '' exclaimed a user named Aaron Jeavons . `` Wo n't be swimming there again ! ''

Report : Shark attacks up

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NEW : `` There was blood everywhere , '' an eyewitness says

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A swimmer in his 40s is attacked about 200 meters offshore , police say

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Police fire at the shark to get it away from the body

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The attack took place at Muriwai Beach , west of Auckland